FBA margin guides

Amazon FBA Reimbursements in 2026: Deadlines, Rules, and How to Get Paid

Every FBA seller hands Amazon their inventory and trusts it to be counted, stored, and shipped correctly. Most of the time it is. But units get lost in fulfillment centers, damaged on the shelf, short-counted when a shipment arrives, or refunded to a customer who never sends the item back. When that happens, Amazon owes you money. The catch: it doesn't always pay on its own, and the window to ask is short.

Where the money usually slips away

1. Lost or damaged in the warehouse. Units that go missing or get damaged while Amazon is holding them.
2. Short inbound shipments. You sent 100 units, Amazon checked in 94. The missing six are easy to overlook.
3. Customer returns that never came back. The customer got a refund, but the item was never returned, or came back and was never put back into your sellable stock.
4. Fee overcharges. Amazon measures or weighs an item wrong and charges you a higher fulfillment fee on every sale.

Why sellers miss it

Amazon now reimburses many warehouse losses automatically, which leads a lot of sellers to assume everything is handled. It isn't. Automatic payments can be missing, partial, or valued lower than they should be, and returns and inbound shortages often need you to open a case yourself. Claim windows are also short, so old losses quietly expire.

What Amazon's automatic payments miss

Since late 2024, Amazon pays for many units lost inside its warehouses without you filing anything. That covers the simple cases. It does not reliably catch the ones that only show up when you compare two reports: inbound shipments that were checked in short, and customer returns that were refunded but never made it back into your stock. Those still need you to find them and open a case.

The 2026 claim deadlines

• Most lost or damaged inventory: about 60 days from when the problem is recorded.
• Short inbound shipments: file between day 15 and day 60 after delivery. Filing too early gets the case closed.
• Customer returns that never came back: file between day 60 and day 120 after the refund.

Miss the window and the money is gone. Amazon occasionally changes these rules, so confirm the current deadline in Seller Central before filing.

Amazon pays your cost, not your price

Lost or damaged units are now reimbursed at what the item cost you to buy or make, not what you sell it for. If you haven't entered your cost in Seller Central, Amazon uses its own estimate, which is usually lower. Setting your real unit cost, and keeping supplier invoices handy, protects what you get paid.

How to check your own account

1. Open your Reimbursements report in Seller Central to see what Amazon has already paid you.
2. Compare it against your Inventory Ledger for units marked lost, damaged, or disposed.
3. Check customer returns for refunds where the item never came back or wasn't restocked.
4. For recent inbound shipments, compare units sent against units received.
5. Anything lost or damaged with no matching reimbursement is money to claim. Open a case with the details and your evidence.

When Amazon says no

Denials are common, and many are wrong. A clear, calm reply that points to the exact report, the unit count, and the date usually does better than starting over. Keep it factual: what happened, what the reports show, and what you're asking for.

Common questions

Doesn't Amazon reimburse me automatically now?
For many warehouse losses, yes. But short inbound shipments and returns that never came back usually aren't caught automatically. You have to find those and file.

How long do I have to file an FBA reimbursement claim?
For most claims, about 60 days. Inbound shipment claims open at day 15 after delivery, and returns claims run from day 60 to day 120 after the refund.

How much will Amazon pay for a lost unit?
Your cost to buy or make the item, not the selling price. Enter your unit cost in Seller Central so Amazon doesn't use a lower estimate.